Aero-tube.



PATENTED'MAR. 31, 1908. w. PARS.

ABRO TUBE. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 29, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Elva/ab I H I H In] Illllll PATENTED MAR. 31, 19083.

W. PARS.

AERO TUBE.

APPLICATION FILED 00129, 1907.

2 SHEET S-SHEHT 2.

UNITED STATES ATENT oEEIoE.

WILTJE PARS, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

Anne-TUBE.

Specificationof Letters li'atent.

Patented March e1, 1908.

Application filed October 29, 1907. Serial No. 399,698.

To all whom it may concemr -Be it known that I, WILTJE PARS, a si1b-.

motor can be utilized in the navigation of the ap aratus.

he device possesses other advantageous features which with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following descri tion wherein is outlined that form of em odirnent of the invention which I. have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, the novelty of the invention-being inpluded in the claims succeeding said descrip- Referring to saiddrawings: Figure 1 is a side elevatlon of an aero-tube involvin my invention .Fig. 2 is a to plan view said aero-tube with one of t e side planes removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 1s a similar view on a smaller 'scale of the rudder mechanism and certain cooperative parts,

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several figures. of the drawings.

The main frame of the apparatus comprises the parallel side bars 2, cross bars 3 connectmg said side bars, and the depending bars 4, sa d depending and vertically disposed barsf4 being connected respectively with the side bars 2 by diagonally dis osed braces as There may be any desirable number of cross bars 3, and from the four corners of the substantially rectangular skeleton frame composed by the bars 2 and?) the bars 4 depend and are rovided attheir lower ends.with ound weels as 6. These several bars may e made of any desirable material; for 'exam le, light metal tubingne of the important features of the devi e is two semi-cylinders or half-tubes as and 8 respectively. The half-tube or semi-cylinder 7 in the present case is arranged forward or in advance of the companion semi-tube 8. The side edges of these semi-tubes are preferably connected with the side bars '2; said semi-tubes or cylinders may be made of canvas held in the desired shape .by semi-circular strips of bamboo, light metal, or other suitable material, all the strips being designated for simplicity by the character 9. The front semi tube or cylinder 7 is shown as opening upward, while the rear semi-tube is represented as o ening downward.

The semi tubes or cylinders are su erposed, the forward portion of .the semi-tu e8 overlyin therear portion of the semi-tube 7, and at t eir junct1on they are united rigidl in some desirable way so as to present at suc place a completetube or cylinder in which a propelling means of some suitable kind is mounted.

- I desire to make it clear that I may provide any desirable propellin means in the cylinder or complete tube %0 junction of the-two semi tubes, althou h I will hereinafter describe a screw prope ing means that'is uite satisfactory for my purpose; While 1 have described these semitubes as bein formed of canvas maintained in the desirefsha e bysemi-circular strips,

it is obvious that 'ght sheet metal or other fabric could be utilized in their formation so long as lightness and strength are resent. It will be ap arent, of course, that do not restrict myse to the use-ofany particular material in the construction of the different parts-of the apparatus.

Along the si es of the apparatus I dispose two planes or lateral wings as of duplicatecharacter. As seen from above these side or lateral planes or wings are of substantially rectangular formation. -As seen from the end, however, they are first disposed at an rmed by the.

outward upward angle, andbeyond such an- 'gular portions are made of bowed form, as

clearly shown in Fig. 3, this being a desirable shape, although the may be made of any other cross sectiona form. The shape described, however, provides pockets 'on the under sides of the planes in which air can be received to aid inithe elevation of the apparatus. Each lane is shown as being co-extensive witht e two semi-cylinders 7 and 8 andas consisting'of a skeleton framework as 1 1 and a covering of canvas or other suitable fabric as12 for the framework. I may for strength extend between the different parts hereinbefore described braces of piano-wire or other suitable material, and all these.

braces are-designated by '14. The propeller is'denoted p I in a general way by 15 and'the ends of the same are-exactly coincident with the ends of the cylinder made by the'union of the overla ping portions of the two semi tubes or cylinc ers 7 and 8. The

shaft 16 of the propeller is supported by spi-- ders as 17 fastened in said cylinder in any desirable way, and said shaft is connected by chain-gearing denoted in a general'way 1 by 18-with the shaft 19 sup orted by hangers as 20 depending from san spiders. Other hangers as 21 are'connected to the side bars 2 and said hangers 21 sustain the motor 22, the power shaft of which is operatively connected y gearing denoted in a general way by 23 with the counter-shaft 19, whereby, when the motor 22-is in operation, the propeller 15, through the intermediate parts, will be driven. The hangers ,21 sustain below the motor a platform as 24' which supports the batteries for the motor and a tool box as 25.

V while a bracket as 28 depends The platform 24 carries below the same a tank as 26 to receive the fuel for themotor.

.While the motor may be of any desirable type, I prefer that it. be operated by gasolene and that the tank 26 be utilized for carrying the necessary gasolene for the motor. bracket as 27 depends from the latform, omthe motor 22 said brackets 27 and 28 supporting a shaft as 29 upon which the seat 30 'for the operator of the apparatus is mpunted. Said seat 30 is illustrated as mounted to permit the occupant-to be located at the rear of the motor 22; the seat, however, may .be so positioned that the o erator might occupy a position in front 0 said motor if desired, in which case such motor will be placed further rearward. The pro eller- 15 is generally driven at a very'higli speed and it consists preferably .of foursimilar blades so disposed that the edge of each will be approximately inthe same radial plane as the a j acent edge of the next blade so that, if the cylinder in which said blade revolves be viewed from either end, daylight cannot be seen at the one.

other end. It is not essential, however, that I emplo several blades, for I might use only The propeller is fastened to the shaft, is-freely rotative in its tube or cylinder, and its per1phery, as far as practicable, is contiguous to the inner surface of the cylinder or tube in. which it turns. I do not intend that the blades of the propeller. should overlap whatever, may be their number.

It will be assumed that the pro eller 15 is being rotated at a high velocity. n such an cupyingithe seat 30. when the wheel 37 is turned, the rudder 32 pressure on the semi-tubes higher, but they' will also receive themselves such an up-pressure because there will be a tendency for the air to be sucked from under the front semitube and pushed above the back one which creates a rush of air around the edges of the side planes, resulting in a vertical up-push on said planes by the action of the propeller 15. It is therefore clear that the apparatus when moving through the air can retain an elevated position with the side planes 'parallel'to the .horizon so that less friction is present than would be the case were said side planes at an angle or tipped relatively to the hori- It is easy to rise and to alight with the apparatus and I can carry comparatively heavy loads with the same. I have shown in 1 the drawings rudder mechanism whereby the apparatus may be steered laterally or up and down. There are preferably two rudders, one denoted by 31 and the other by 32. The rudder 31 oscillates about a horizontal axis, while the rudder 32 oscillates about a vertical axis.

1 The two rudders 'are supported by bearings on the upper framework of the apparatus. The rudder .32 operates in an open ng as 33 in the forward end of the rudder 31 and'has a cross bar 34 connected therewith, to the outer ends of which the branches of a wire -or other suitable connection as 35 are con nected. These. branches extend divergingly forward and are passed around guide pulleys as 36 supported on the inner sides of the side bars 2 substantially centrally thereof. The 'wire 35 below said guide pulleys 36 depends in the form of a loop as shown in Fig.

3, the loop-passing around a steering wheel as 37 rotatively supported by the bracket 28 and within easy reach of the operator. oc-

It will be evident that,

maybe also turned by reason of the inter mediate wire or equivalent connection 35. The bracket28 further supports a second steering wheel as 39 located beside the wheel 37, and around the wheel 39 the wire 40 is extended, said wire being projected upward from the Wheel 39 in two diverging branches which pass over the guide pulleys or wheels 41. The branches of the wire .40 are provided in turn respectively with-"branches 40 and 40*, the branches 310 being connected with posts as 40 on one side of the rudder 31,

' while the branches 40 are connected with like posts as 40 on the opposite side of said rudder 31. From said several posts to the outer ends of the rudder 31 braces as, 31 of piano-Wire or other suitable material can extend. It will be apparent therefore that on the rotation of the wheel 39 the rudder 31 can be swung up or down in accordance with s the direction said'wheel 39 is turned. The

1. An aero-tube compising two semitubes, one of which opens upward and the 3. An aero-tube comprising other of which opens downward, the two tubes overlapping for a portion of their lengths to form a c linder, and propelling means in said cylin er.

2. An aero-tube comprising two semitubes, one of which opens upward and the other of whichopens downward, the two tubes overlapping for a portion of their lengths to form a c linder, screwropelling means in the cylindiar, andside p anes connected with the semi-tubes and substantially co-extensive therewith.

two semitubes, one of which opens upward and the other of which opens downward, the 'two semi-tubes overlapping for a portion of their lengths to form a cylinder, screw-propelling means in the cylinder, and two s1de planes connected with and substantially coincident with the semi-tubes, the side planes being upwardly inclined from the semi-tubes and being downwardly bowed at their outer sides.

4. An aero-tube comprising two semi' tubes, one of which opens upward and the other of which opens downward, the two tubes overlapping for a portion of their lengths to rovide a horizontally disposed cylinder, a horizontally rotative screw-propeller in said cylinder, two side planes extending from one end of one of the semi-tubes to the other end of the other semi-tube, and

steering means for the aero-tube.

5. Any aero -.tube comprising twosemitubes, one of which opens upward and the other of which opens downward, the two tubes overlapping for a portion of their.

lengths to provide a horizontally disposed cylinder, a horizontally rotative screw-propeller in said cylinder, two side planes extending from one end of one of the semitubes to the other end of the other semi-tube, and steering means for the aero-tube, involving a plurality of rudders movable about transversely disposed axes.

6. An aero-tube comprising two semitubes, one of which opens upward and the other of which opens downward, the two tubes overlapping for a portion of their lengths to form a cylinder, ropelling means in said cylinder, means be ow the cylinder for supporting an operator, steering means for the aero-tube, and operative connections extending from said steering means to a place Within access of the operator.

, 7. An aero tube comprlsing two semitubes, one of which opens upward and the other of which opens downward, the tubes overlapping for a portion of their lengths to provide a cylinder, a screw-propeller'in said cylinder, a pair of rudders one of which is movable about a horizontal axis and the other of which is movable about a vertical axis, means for supporting an operator below the said cylinder, a pair of steering wheels within reach of the o erator, and operative connections between t e steering wheels and the rudders. 1

8. An aero-tube comprising a tube and air deflecting portions extending op ositely from said tube, the effective areas of said air deflecting portions facing in opposite directions, combined with propelling means in said tube.

9. $11 aero-tube comprising a tube-and air deflecting portions extending oppositely from said tube, the effective areas of said air deflecting ortions facing in opposite directions, com ined with propelling means in said tube, and side planes located at opposite sides of said tube.

10. An aero-tube comprising a tube-and air deflecting portions extending oppositely WILTJ E PARS.

Witnesses: 0. J. SMITH,

A. H. LITCHFIELD., 

